


Overlaid Imprints

by CookieDoughMe



Category: Dollhouse, Haven (TV)
Genre: Adelle DeWitt mentioned, Boyd Langton mentioned, Duke as a detective, Gen, Haven characters in the Dollhouse universe, Implied romantic/sexual relationships, Topher Brink mentioned, spoilers for both seasons of Dollhouse, spoilers for various seasons of Haven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:53:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 1,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25782424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CookieDoughMe/pseuds/CookieDoughMe
Summary: This takes AU versions of Duke, Audrey and Nathan from Haven and puts them into the Dollhouse universe and the general Dollhouse plot line.I got thinking about the similarities between Audrey and the concept of overlay personalities in Haven on the one hand, and Echo and the concept of imprinted personalities in Dollhouse on the other. The contexts of the two shows may be very different; one is slick, urban, high tech, the other is small town, pretty and paranormal. But within those different contexts there are some interesting similarities, I think, particularly in relation to the two lead characters.I'd like to maybe do more in this crossover universe at some point, but this fic will be a short one to start off with.
Relationships: Audrey Parker (Haven) & Echo (Dollhouse), Duke Crocker & Audrey Parker, Duke Crocker & Paul Ballard, Echo (Dollhouse) & Paul Ballard, Topher Brink & Adelle DeWitt
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

"You still work here Crocker?"

"So far!" replied Duke in his best overly-cheery voice and cheesy grin. As Haskell disappeared around the corner of the police station corridor Duke’s grin abruptly vanished. He made his way back to his desk with a frown, flicking through the file he was carrying. Something about this case wasn't right. He couldn't put his finger on it (yet) but something about the supposed timeline of events was off. He put the file on the pile of similar ones on his desk, the ones he thought of as the Dollhouse cases. The ones he kept nearly getting fired for not being able to leave alone. The pile covered most of his desk at this point, and with the addition of one more, gravity finally took over and countless pieces of paper went tumbling to the floor.

As Duke sighed and crouched to pick them up, Haskell walked back past behind him and laughed.


	2. Chapter 2

It was good to get home, even if all he did most of the time when he was there was read through more case notes. His neighbour had presented a very appealing distraction for a while, but she had chosen to pull away from him so now he focused on work again.

Except today, as Duke got to his front door there she was, about to knock. As she turned to him he saw how upset she was, and he put thoughts of his cases (or any more appealing activities) out of his mind to invite her inside. As she talked he realised why she was so upset, and then something clicked into place with the last case he'd been reviewing, at just the same time as she said, "I think you're right. Someone in this city is reprogramming people with new identities, memories, skills; everything. And I think I'm one of them."

Neither of them slept that night. They sat up talking, wondering who Audrey used to be before some faceless corporation gave her the memories she now carries, and trying to work out a strategy to stop it from happening again, even as they realised there could be hundreds of others like her and it might not even be limited to LA.

It was horrifying and he felt inadequate in the face of it. But even through his anger at what had been done to Audrey and to countless others, there was some small sense in which was it was reassuring to finally have someone to talk to, someone who believed him that the Dollhouse was not just a ridiculous urban legend, and who didn’t think him crazy for trying to bring them down.


	3. Chapter 3

Audrey threw some clothes in a bag, tired and unenthusiastic about another trip away with work. Outside, the rainy weather made her mood even worse until a black van pulled up alongside her at the end of the block. The door opened and someone leaned out of it, his bluer than blue eyes looking right into her. She was about to tell him to get lost when he spoke, "Like a treatment?"

She stepped happily into the van, glad to get out of the weather and closer to him and his cheekbones, all thoughts of work trips eclipsed by the imminent treatment. It was only some time later when she eventually remembered snatches of that van ride that she would wonder with a shiver why none of her FBI training had kicked in to cause her to question anything about the situation at all.


	4. Chapter 4

All thoughts of anything but the present moment gone, the woman who is sometimes Audrey Parker sits down to eat lunch. The brunette woman opposite her is familiar; they have eaten together before. "Hello Echo."

Echo smiles. "Hello Charlie." For a moment they eat their salads in companionable silence, then Echo speaks again. "You look sad."

Charlie considers this. "I think I was sad. I think my … Du-" but she cuts off, her attention caught by the intent and subtle way Echo is shaking her head. 

"I try to be my best," Echo says, as Boyd walks past them. Once he's gone she adds, "They don't want us to be sad."

It sounds like a warning, and Charlie takes it to heart.


	5. Chapter 5

It was, again, too late by the time Duke arrived. The people he'd hoped to investigate were long gone. He slumped against the wall feeling despondent. He hadn't seen Audrey for weeks, and this had been his most promising lead. 

Then, in an instant, he was alert again, gun drawn and pointed towards a sound near the door. "FBI," a voice called out, and for a moment he hoped for Audrey but it wasn't her. It was a man in a suit, badge on display and gun held like he'd trained at Quantico. They were a good match for height and build; Duke assessed his chances as they stepped closer and then took his finger off the trigger, holding his hands up and looking as friendly as possible. "Detective Crocker, LA PD, I'm going to show you my badge." 

Once the newcomer was assured of his identity, he showed his own badge too; Agent Ballard.

"What interest does the FBI have here?" Duke asked as they put their guns away.

Ballard's laugh was short and bitter. 

"Your superiors don't know you're here then," Duke guessed, and Ballard's look told him he was right.

"And yours?" Ballard asked.

"Clocked off an hour ago," Duke admitted. "What brought you here?"

"The thing that's about to get me fired. There's nothing here is there?" he added, looking around.

"Not a goddam thing."

Ballard sighed and slumped against the wall in much the same way Duke had. "Have you heard of the Dollhouse?" he asked, in a tone of voice that said he fully expected to be laughed at.

"Yes!" replied Duke surprised. "That's what you're investigating?"

"You too?" Ballard asked, looking about as surprised as Duke had ever seen anyone.

Duke nodded, and felt his face form itself into a genuine smile for the first time since he'd last seen Audrey. "I'm Duke," he said, holding out a hand.

"Paul."

They shook hands and Duke dared to hope that maybe, just maybe, coming here hadn't been such a waste of time afterall.


	6. Chapter 6

Sometimes Duke looked back at that first meeting with Paul as a rare moment of optimism in the otherwise unending stream of bad news. Now, several years later, it was almost surreal to remember how they had thought their biggest challenge would be proving the Dollhouse existed, or convincing a distracted public of the threat.

No one needed convincing any more.

Once that would have felt like some kind of victory to him and Paul, to have co-workers admit they were right. But now it didn't mean a thing. 

They went on supply runs and recon trips through a decimated city - avoiding Butchers, Dumbshows and other desperate Actuals as best they could - and mostly they made it back in one piece. They were lucky that so far the space that had been the Dollhouse was still relatively habitable and safe. Nathan stayed behind to patrol the perimeter in their absence, his days as Charlie’s Handler long gone. 

All of them had changed and no one more so than Adelle DeWitt. When Duke had first met her she'd been all sharp suits and even sharper words, wearing her corporate ambition like armour. But now she spent most of her time carefully looking after the traumatised Topher Brink, the only person he would talk to much of the time. 

Duke didn't know how they would manage it, Topher in particular, but soon they would have to leave the old Dollhouse and abandon the city for something more sustainable. He hoped they'd be able to find a place where they could make a real home, build lives for themselves. 

Hope was in short supply in this broken world, but he always felt at least a little hopeful when the four of them were together; him, Paul, Audrey and Echo. She still went by Audrey, even though she carried multiple people in her head now. The Audrey he had known was still there, and that was who she seemed like to him most of the time. But he was always aware too of the presence of the others; Lucy, Sarah, Veronica, Lexie, Paige. Charlie too, and even Mara sometimes. They were all in there, those and others besides, each with their own unique voice.

He couldn't imagine what it must be like to carry so many people inside your own head. He hoped he never had to find out. He hoped too that he never forgot the name carved hastily into his back as a safeguard to prove he was real.

Echo knew though, perhaps even more so than Audrey, the weight of being multiple people at once. He was glad they had each other; someone who understood, someone to lean on. He was glad for their sakes but for his and everyone else's too. Echo and Audrey were their leaders, if at any point either of them could no longer cope then everyone would be in trouble. 

He had faith in them though, and he knew that him and Paul would follow wherever they led. With any luck that would be to some kind of safe haven somewhere, secure from the possibility of remote wipe. With a lot of luck it would also eventually mean the end of Rossum Corporation along with its destructive tech. With the kind of luck he only rarely dared hope for, everyone they knew would make it far enough to help in the rebuilding of a new and fairer world.

But even if that victory never came, or didn't turn out how they hoped, every time he looked across at Audrey he knew he was exactly where he was meant to be. And he knew that he would do whatever he had to, to help bring about a world where everyone's body once more belonged, always and forever, only to themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for this fic. Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed it I would love to hear from you :)


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